Chapter 23 #2
“You’re not like my Mom,” he interrupts me yet again. Exasperated, I huff out a breath and wait for him to finish. Apparently, he woke up in a sharing mood today, and I won’t take that for granted. Not when it comes to Colt.
“When I walked into your classroom and saw you there, I knew you would be the end of everything normal in my life, and I panicked. I didn’t want to keep you from the best years of your life like my Mom claimed my Dad did to her.”
“Who’s to say I was even interested?” I huff, crossing my arms and leaning back.
“Please,” he eyes me knowingly. “You were practically drooling by the time you were done checking me out.”
“I was not!”
“The point is,” Colt chuckles, continuing his declaration of interest. “I panicked, and I acted like an ass. But I’ve seen you with Ben. I’ve gotten to know you. I have no intention of ever holding you back from everything you want, but I’m hoping a part of you wants us too.”
“That was really well said,” I breathe. My mind somersaults over itself, trying to make sense of the emotions and hormones pouring through me.
“Uh,” he shuffles on the blanket. “Thank you?”
“I felt off the whole time I was in Chicago,” I open up. “And then when I got back to Montana, I still felt off. I didn’t feel like myself until I was pulling into the driveway. I don’t want to leave. This place, you and Ben, you feel like home.”
“Then don’t leave.”
“Okay.” I let out the breath I was unwittingly holding. “I won’t.”
The Castlebrook Kayter Text Chain
Sylvie
Don’t worry, boys, we’ve got this.
Mandy
Just get him to the bar, and stay out of our way.
“We’re going out,” Mandy bursts into my room one Saturday night, followed by her wife. They’re both in short skirts and blown-out hair, looking nothing like the Moms I’ve come to know.
“What?” I ask, looking up from my report card comments in shock.
“Ben’s at his grandparents for the night, Colt and the guys are off doing guy things. It’s girls' night.”
“Don’t you guys want a date night instead, or something?”
“We have a date night every time Ben spends the night with you guys. Tonight is girls' night.” Sylvie waves me off like a pesky gnat, pulling open my closet door. “Now, let’s see what fancy city clothes you have.”
“I don’t know about fancy, but they’re definitely city,” I chuckle, shoving my laptop off my lap. “Where are we going?”
“Wild Hogs. It’s the only pub we have,” Mandy offers, sitting on the edge of my bed. “Sawyer and Penny are meeting us there.”
“Sawyer?” I know Penny, obviously, but I don’t think I’ve met Sawyer yet.
“She’s a few years younger than Mandy and me, around Jake’s age.
” Sylvie walks out of the closet with a couple of hangers and tosses them on the bed.
“Pick one, and then we’ll do your hair and makeup.
” She’s pulled out literally all of my club dresses, the ones that gave Fletch an aneurysm any time I walked out of my room in them, ready for a night on the town.
I’m not sure Wild Hogs is the place for dresses like these.
“Hold on,” I shuffle up and over the footboard of my bed, barely avoiding kicking Mandy. I pull out a pair of jean shorts with rips that expose the curve of my ass, and a halter top made out of a red bandana. “What about this?”
Sylvie studies my outfit choice, pursing her lips. “I guess that’ll do.”
“So, while we get ready, can you please give us the tea on you and Colt?” Mandy asks, sitting on her hands. “Are you two official yet?”
“Uh,” I shimmy into my shorts, pondering the question. Truthfully, after our conversation last weekend, it felt like we are, but we haven’t actually talked about it. “I don’t know?”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” Sylvie sits beside her wife, pulling Mandy’s legs into her lap.
“I mean, we talked about our feelings, and he told me about his Mom and his fears. But then we didn’t actually talk about whether we’re together or not? I mean, we agreed I won’t be moving out anytime soon.” I hesitate. “If that's okay with you? I don’t want to intrude on your family.”
“Please,” Mandy huffs, chuckling. “You’re already part of our family.”
”Really?” Just like that?
“Colt hasn’t told anyone about his Mom. If he told you, then he’s made his choice, and I’m happy he chose you.” She speaks earnestly, meaning every word she says. The weight on my heart shakes loose at her words.
“Thank you,” I whisper, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. I just got changed in front of these women, but I didn’t feel naked until now.
“Okay,” Sylvie claps, breaking the somber mood. “We gotta hurry, so we don’t leave the girls sitting alone like prey.”
“Fine, just don’t go too crazy on the hair and makeup,” I warn.
My warning falls on deaf ears. Mandy and Sylvie do a full glam, curling my hair into Hollywood-style waves and perfecting a smoky eye with glitter. I look gorgeous by the time they’re done, and probably way too overdone for Castlebrook’s only bar.
By the time we’re pulling up to the bar, I’m self-conscious and ready to go home. “A lot of people come from surrounding towns,” Mandy explains as I take in the large crowds. “Less incestuous that way.”
“What?” I ask, startled.
“That’s Mandy’s version of a figure of speech,” Sylvie explains, seeing the frightened look on my face.
“She just means everyone knows everyone in these small towns. Oh, there’s Sawyer and Penny!
” The mechanic sits beside a shorter woman, who thankfully I don’t recognize.
It would be awkward if I had met her and just didn’t remember.
There’s a lot of people left to meet in Castlebrook, but even more that I’ve actually met.
“Hi! I’m Sawyer,” she immediately introduces herself once we’re close enough to hear them. She flushes, pushing her hair behind her ear.
”Kayla,” I respond, feeling instantly at ease in her presence. I wave awkwardly to Penny as Sylvie and Mandy slide their way around the curved booth, sticking to the cracked vinyl seats.
“Oh, I know,” Sawyer chuckles. “The whole town is talking about the girl who finally got Colter Williams to settle down.” She leans across the wobbly table, dropping her voice into a whisper. “There was a pool going around on whether or not he was gay.”
“I told you that was a thing!” Mandy hisses, elbowing her wife.
“I thought you were joking!” Sylvie’s eyes are wide, equal parts amused and scandalized.
Sawyer shrugs, sipping her drink with a sly smile. “Honestly, it was fifty-fifty. You can’t be that hot, that broody, and that uninterested in half the female population without sparking rumors. Besides, everyone knew something was up with him.
A bartender drops off a tray of shots, and the girls immediately reach for their own.
I hesitate, wondering if it’s a good look for one of the teachers to get drunk at the bar.
But you know what—fuck it. Just go with it.
I’m already drinking with one of my students’ parents and living with one of their fathers.
Might as well continue to shatter those boundaries.
“Welcome to Castlebrook,” Penny says, raising her glass.
“To Castlebrook,” Sylvie repeats, lifting hers in solidarity.
We clink glasses, and Mandy leans in. “So now that we’re officially bonding, what’s he like? You know,” she pauses. “In the sack.”
My eyes widen, and I nearly choke on my drink. “Mandy!”
“Oh, come on. You’re basically our sister-wife now,” she says, totally unbothered.
“Also, we already have a few theories,” Sylvie adds with a mischievous grin.
“Oh my god,” I mutter, my face burning. “Even if I knew, there’s no way I’d tell you that.”
”Wait,” Sawyer leans forward again. “You two haven’t?”
“We haven’t even kissed,” I confess, taking another shot. I’m gonna need it after this interrogation.
“Oh shit,” Sylvie says. Heads swivel as all three girls stare at each other in shock.
“He just started admitting to himself that he has feelings for me. Hell, I’ve just come to terms with it too.”
“We just thought, with how he looks at you,” Mandy falters.
“How does he look at me?”
“Like that,” Sawyer snickers into her shoulder, pointing somewhere behind me.
“We’re going dancing.” Ripping her wife away from the table, Sylvie and Mandy both disappear into the crowds, just as Colter and his friends make their appearances.
So much for girls’ night.
“I thought they were doing guy things,” I say, flustered.
“Guess their version of guy things includes surveillance,” Penny deadpans. “Real subtle.”
Colter weaves through the crowd, and it parts for him like the Red Sea. A few heads turn as he passes, because of course they do, but his eyes don’t leave mine.
He stops beside our booth, one hand braced on the table, his voice low and soft, but teasing. “You gonna sit here all night looking this good, or you gonna dance with me?”
I blink up at him, speechless for a second. “I didn’t realize you were here.”
“We didn’t want to interrupt your girls' night,” he says, but there’s a glint in his eyes. “This was all Jake’s idea.”
“Traitor,” I mutter under my breath. On my other side, Granger is convincing Penny to slip out onto the dance floor with him, using his big brown eyes to his advantage.
“Come dance with me,” Colt says again, pulling my attention back to him. His hand extends, reaching out for me.
I hesitate. “I don’t know how to two-step.”
“Good thing I do.”
I glance at Sawyer, who now sits alone, Granger having been quickly successful in pulling Penny away. Sawyer grins and shoos me with both hands. “Go. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
”Don’t worry, I'll keep her company,” Jake smiles charmingly, leaning his elbow on the table. “Jake Williams, nice to meet you.”
My new friend looks anything but impressed, rolling her eyes at the charming doofus. “I know, Jake. We went to school together.”
Eyes wide with shock, he at least has the respect to look ashamed. “Did we?”
With a resigned breath and a fast-beating heart, I slip my hand into Colt’s, tearing my eyes away from the train wreck.
Chuckling at his brother, Colter leads me to the edge of the dance floor. It’s not as packed now, and the song has slowed to a sway. His hands find my waist, and mine naturally land on his shoulders. He’s warm and solid and close—closer than he’s ever been in public.
“This okay?” he asks quietly.
I nod. “Yeah. It’s nice.”
We sway, small steps, slow circles. Everything fades away. Sawyer, the bar, the noise. They’re all gone. It’s just me and him.
“I like seeing you like this,” he says after a moment. “Happy.”
“I like feeling like this,” I admit.
His hand tightens slightly at my waist, pulling me closer. My heart flips. His gaze drops to my mouth. “I’ve been thinking about kissing you all night.”
“Well,” I whisper, “you’ve had a good view.”
He leans in slowly, so slowly I have time to memorize every beauty mark and shadow on his face, and just when I think his lips will finally brush mine, we’re interrupted.
“Colt! Colter!”
Finn’s shout cuts through the moment like a cattle prod. We both jerk apart as Finn waves from the booth. “They just brought out hot wings the size of my hand! You gotta see this! It’s like a mutant chicken!”
Colter lets out a slow breath, jaw clenched like he’s this close to murdering his friend.
I’m still dazed, caught between disappointment and laughter.
“I hate this town,” he mutters.
“No, you don’t.”
He grins at me anyway.
”Finn!” Sylvie yells from the dance floor, face red. “You fucking idiot!”
”What? What did I do?”
“We’ll add you to the group chat,” Jake mutters, clapping his friend on the back and leading him away.
Neither Colt nor I follow.